‘Dead’ meat being supplied to zoo

BAHAWALPUR - Animals in the Bahawalpur Zoo are being supplied with dead meat due to which a lioness has eaten its two cubs and killed two others. On March 16, the lioness gave birth to four cubs but due to alleged starvation, it ate its two cubs. The zoo awarded a contract of supplying meat to the zoo animals and the contractor is bound to supply 40 kg of meat including 5kg bones daily at a rate of Rs38 per kg surprisingly.Last year, a contract had been awarded to supply the meat at Rs187 per kg. After that, another contract was awarded for provision of the food at Rs82 per kg. However, the DG Livestock cancelled the contract declaring the meat substandard. But as soon as the DG Livestock was transferred, the zoo administration signed another contract for getting meat at Rs38 per kg. Sources said that the new contractor had been supplying dead meat to the animals thereby affecting their health.When contacted, Bahawalpur Zoo’s Curator Iftikhar said that the contract had been awarded on merit and that the meat was checked by a veterinary doctor before feeding it to the animals. According to the Bahawalpur Zoo Administration, the lioness had given birth to four cubs for the first time in the Bahawalpur Zoo. It said that shortage of feed was not the reason behind her eating the cubs.